Postal Codes

51201 ZIP Code

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ZIP code 51201 covers Sheldon, Iowa, with a population of about 6,226 and a median household income of $70,592.

Population
6,22654 per square mile
Median age
37.51.2 points below the US average
Median household income
$70,592about the Iowa median
Poverty rate
15.7%3.3 points above the US average
Typical home value
$229,538up 40.4% in five years
Median rent
$84211% below the Iowa median
Degree or higher
21.1%13.9 points below the US average
Homeownership
73.3%8.3 points above the US average
Time zone
Central UTC-06:00observes daylight saving time
Businesses
242

Where 51201 is

Sheldon, Iowa — the area the Census Bureau draws for this ZIP code. ZIP codes are sets of delivery routes rather than areas, so this is the Census approximation of one, not a Postal Service boundary.

People and households

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Population6,226
Median age37.5
Family households64.4%
Born outside the US7.6%
Speaks a language other than English at home12.4%
White (non-Hispanic)80.6%
Black (non-Hispanic)2%
Asian (non-Hispanic)1.1%
Hispanic or Latino13.6%
Veterans3.7%
Population by age
MaleFemale0-45-910-1415-1920-2425-3435-4445-5455-6465-7475-8485+
Income and poverty

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median household income$70,592
Income per person$32,116
Poverty rate15.7%
Households on SNAP or cash assistance7.1%

Household income distribution

Under $10k1.8%
$10–15k4.4%
$15–20k1.5%
$20–25k3.6%
$25–30k8.5%
$30–35k0.8%
$35–40k2.1%
$40–45k7.6%
$45–50k3.0%
$50–60k10.4%
$60–75k9.0%
$75–100k14.5%
$100–125k17.6%
$125–150k6.3%
$150–200k6.1%
$200k or more2.8%

Income as declared to the IRS

Filed returns rather than survey responses, so this counts tax units and not households.

Tax returns filed2,770
Mean adjusted gross income$87,935
Returns declaring $200,000 or more6.1%
Returns, under $25k22.0%
Returns, $25k–$50k21.7%
Returns, $50k–$75k19.1%
Returns, $75k–$100k11.6%
Returns, $100k–$200k19.5%
Returns, $200k or more6.1%
Housing

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Median home value$182,500
Median gross rent$842
Rent as a share of household income19.1%
Owner-occupied73.3%
Vacant homes13%
Median year built1965

What the homes are

Detached house77.8%
Attached house0.9%
2 to 4 units3%
5 to 19 units3.7%
20 or more units10.7%
Mobile home4%
Home values and rents today

Zillow Home Value Index and Zillow Observed Rent Index, courtesy of Zillow. Monthly and current, where the Census figures above are a five-year average and are capped at $2,000,000.

Typical home value$229,538as of 2026-07
Typical home value, 1 yearup 8.5%
Typical home value, 5 yearsup 40.4%
Typical home value, 10 yearsup 84%
Typical home value since 2000
200920172026$229,538$103,300

$105,837 in 2009 to $229,538 in 2026.

Work, commuting and education

American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

Unemployment rate0.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.1%
High school diploma or higher87.7%
Works from home5.6%
Drives to work alone78.6%
Takes public transport0%
Commutes 45 minutes or more7.4%
Health

CDC PLACES 2025 release, model-based estimates. These are modelled small-area estimates for adults, not counts of diagnosed cases.

Obesity37.4% 4 pts above the national average of 33.4%
Diagnosed diabetes11.5% 0.5 pts below the national average of 12%
Currently smokes15.9% 2.7 pts above the national average of 13.2%
High blood pressure34.9% 0.8 pts above the national average of 34.1%
Fair or poor general health19.8% 0.5 pts below the national average of 20.3%
No health insurance (18–64)9% 2.3 pts below the national average of 11.3%
Depression20.9% 1 pts below the national average of 21.9%
No leisure-time physical activity27.4% 2 pts above the national average of 25.4%
Arthritis27.6% 2.5 pts above the national average of 25.1%
Binge drinking19.8% 3.8 pts above the national average of 16%
Taking blood pressure medication77.4% 2.7 pts above the national average of 74.7%
Cancer (non-skin)9.2% 1.5 pts above the national average of 7.7%
Current asthma10% same as the national average of 10.4%
Coronary heart disease7.3% 1.1 pts above the national average of 6.2%
Routine check-up in past year76.7% same as the national average of 76.7%
Cholesterol screening82.6% 3.3 pts below the national average of 85.9%
Cognitive disability15% same as the national average of 14.8%
Colorectal screening66.7% 2.4 pts above the national average of 64.3%
COPD7.9% 1.3 pts above the national average of 6.6%
Visited a dentist62.8% 1.5 pts above the national average of 61.3%
Any disability31.4% 0.7 pts above the national average of 30.7%
Lacks emotional support23.7% 1.1 pts below the national average of 24.8%
Food insecurity13.3% 3.8 pts below the national average of 17.1%
Received food stamps11.1% 3.2 pts below the national average of 14.3%
Hearing disability8.5% 1.8 pts above the national average of 6.7%
High cholesterol35.4% 0.8 pts below the national average of 36.2%
Housing insecurity10% 3.8 pts below the national average of 13.8%
Independent living disability8.4% same as the national average of 8.4%
Lacks transport7.4% 1.8 pts below the national average of 9.2%
Loneliness33.1% 1.3 pts below the national average of 34.4%
Mammography use76.4% 0.5 pts above the national average of 75.9%
Poor mental health (14+ days)17% same as the national average of 16.8%
Mobility disability14.4% same as the national average of 14%
Poor physical health (14+ days)13.8% same as the national average of 13.5%
Self-care disability3.8% same as the national average of 4%
Utility shut-off threat6.6% 2.2 pts below the national average of 8.8%
Sleeps under 7 hours34.1% 2.3 pts below the national average of 36.4%
Stroke3.7% same as the national average of 3.4%
All natural teeth lost12.9% same as the national average of 13%
Vision disability4.9% 0.7 pts below the national average of 5.6%
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Business and employment

Census ZIP Code Business Patterns 2022

Business establishments242
People employed3,968
Annual payroll$175,025,000
Natural hazard risk

FEMA National Risk Index, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data — the NRI is not published per ZIP.

Overall riskHigher than 82.9% of US census tracts
FEMA ratingRelatively Moderate to Relatively High across the 4 census tracts this ZIP code covers
Expected annual loss88.7 out of 100
Community resilience92.6 out of 100

By hazard

Score is out of 100 and is the area-weighted average across the census tracts this ZIP code covers. The rating beside it is the highest any one of those tracts carries.

Winter weather98.6Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Hail98.3Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Drought96.7Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Tornado96.5Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
Strong wind90.8Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Ice storm90.4Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Cold wave89.1Very High at its worst in this ZIP code
River flooding74.8Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Wildfire74.5Relatively Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Lightning69Relatively High at its worst in this ZIP code
Landslide60.7Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Heat wave43.9Relatively Moderate at its worst in this ZIP code
Earthquake19.7Very Low at its worst in this ZIP code
Compared with Iowa and the United States

State and national columns are figures for those areas, not for this ZIP code. American Community Survey 2019–2023 five-year estimates

This ZIPIowaUnited States
Median household income$70,592$73,147$78,538
Income per person$32,116$39,728$43,289
Poverty rate15.7%11%12.4%
Median home value$182,500$195,900$303,400
Median gross rent$842$949$1,348
Homeownership73.3%71.5%65%
Bachelor's degree or higher21.1%30.9%35%
Unemployment rate0.6%3.6%5.2%
Works from home5.6%10.4%13.5%
Born outside the US7.6%5.7%13.9%
Median age37.538.638.7
Climate

NOAA US Climate Normals 1991-2020, from the nearest weather station with a full year of records. The station and its distance are named above, because a station forty kilometres away describes somewhere else.

Weather stationSHELDON, IA US1.1 km away
Rain in a year31 in
Snow in a year41 in

Average high and low by month

January24.6°F / 5.2°F0.88 in rain, 8.7 in snow
February29.5°F / 9.1°F1 in rain, 7.2 in snow
March42.5°F / 21.3°F1.91 in rain, 6.6 in snow
April57°F / 32.4°F3.22 in rain, 3.3 in snow
May69°F / 46.2°F4.03 in rain, 0.2 in snow
June79.2°F / 57.2°F4.67 in rain
July82.7°F / 60.4°F3.61 in rain
August80.3°F / 57.5°F3.26 in rain
September74°F / 47.9°F3.39 in rain
October60.5°F / 34.6°F2.43 in rain, 0.5 in snow
November43.9°F / 21.6°F1.52 in rain, 4.7 in snow
December29.6°F / 11°F1.17 in rain, 9.6 in snow
Access to food

USDA Food Access Research Atlas, estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Each figure is the share of the ZIP code's land area that falls in a tract carrying that flag.

Low income and far from a supermarketNone of this ZIP code
Far from a supermarket8% of this ZIP code's area
No vehicle and far from a supermarket8% of this ZIP code's area
School districts

NCES Geographic Relationship File 2025, which states the association between each district and each ZIP code tabulation area directly. Elementary and secondary districts can cover the same ground, so shares need not total 100%.

This ZIP code is served by 3 school districts, so the address decides which one, not the ZIP code.

Sheldon Community School District87.2% of this ZIP code's land area
MOC-Floyd Valley Community School District8.8% of this ZIP code's land area
Boyden-Hull Community School District3.3% of this ZIP code's land area
Community and walkability

CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022 and the EPA National Walkability Index, both estimated for this ZIP code from census tract data. Vulnerability figures are national percentile ranks, not measurements.

Overall social vulnerability39more vulnerable than 39% of US census tracts
Socioeconomic status20more vulnerable than 20% of US census tracts
Household characteristics50more vulnerable than 50% of US census tracts
Racial and ethnic minority status12more vulnerable than 12% of US census tracts
Housing type and transport74more vulnerable than 74% of US census tracts
Walkability5.3 out of 20Least walkable
Nearby ZIP codes

The closest ZIP codes by centre point, which is not the same as sharing a border.

51244 Matlock, IA10.4 km away
51231 Archer, IA10.6 km away
51234 Boyden, IA11.8 km away
51238 Hospers, IA12.8 km away
51248 Sanborn, IA14.5 km away
51232 Ashton, IA15.1 km away
51245 Primghar, IA19.1 km away
51237 George, IA21.8 km away
Location, counties and time zone

County shares from Census 2020 ZCTA relationship files. Time zone from the USDOT National Transportation Atlas, which renders the boundaries written into 49 CFR Part 71.

Sioux County49.2% of this ZIP code's land area
O'Brien County48.6% of this ZIP code's land area
Lyon County2.2% of this ZIP code's land area
Time zoneCentral (UTC-06:00 standard)
Daylight saving timeObserved
Land area115.66 sq mi
Water area0.03 sq mi
Population density54 people per sq mi
Latitude, longitude43.1808, -95.8401

Figures are published for this ZIP code or its Census tabulation area unless a section says otherwise. Estimates whose margin of error made them unreliable are omitted rather than shown. Sources: US Census Bureau, CDC, IRS.

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